St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1887-10-27
MISCELLANY.
DIR. GRAY's POWDER BARREL

! ,
if am not home to dinner. Some o
my patients will be hospitable enough
to give me a lunch, or at the worst
can manage to bring up at some inl
on the road about noon time, wher
mine host will provide creature com
forts for me and my beast. So you cal
have long day to gossip and find on
the latest news. / shall depend upOI
hearing from you what all the tow
worthless are talking about"
"Well, father, only you must not ex
pect to hear the secrets ! discover.
am nothing if not discreet"
DR.. Gray laughed a happy, content
ed laugh as he stopped to kiss hi
daughter, for we'll he knew there wa
no corner of her heart which she die
not show him, and that any secre
worth knowing, would always reacl
his ears in the evening chat around tn,
blazing wood fire, however much sh'
might bargain and haggle to piqne his
curiosity, and enhance the value of hel
communication.
DR.. Gray was widower and Kitty
his eldest daughter, had for years beer
his housekeeper and cOnfidante In
deed, without her management, ht
would have found it difficult to bring
up and educate his large family. Tive
wives had the worthy doctor had, and
each had bequeathed to him healthy
romping, growing family of nine chill
dren and though he was strong Of
mind and body, and held a good prac-
tice, yet he often found the demands
upon his pocket came in faster than
his fees filled it up.
Whan ha told Kittu that ha Sbnu16
expect to hear from her, on his return
the town gossip, he we'll knew that il
must all come to her while she was
busy in the kitchen or nursery, max
ing good as well as one pair of hands
and willing heart could the ravages
in larder and wardrobe caused by the
horde of younger children.
"My Infantry Corps" the doctor
would say, laying his hand affection
ately on her head, sis ruled by this
captain. | am only cOmmissary gen
eral."
Kitty adored her father, thinking
him the wisest, best and handsOmest
man in the world, returning his affec-
ton and trust in ample measure.
Many a young man attracted by heI
sweet and comedy face had tried to
win her for a wife. But Kitty had
only one standard of manly perfection,
and judged by that, the aspirants for
her favor all seemed as yet so far be-
low her ideal that she could not bring
herself even to dream of promising "tO
love, honor and obey" Beside, as she
said in her condolences to her father.
"YOu know, dear, you couldn't get
along without me, and they can why,
poor father, what would you do if all
the children came trOOping round you
to know when dinner would be ready
You'd have to find wife yourself, and
that you know would be impossible,
with such an army of young savages
as we are to cucumber YOU"
eyes," her father would answer,
''Kitty Pm warning to my kind, my
love, will you accept me and my eigh-
teen children, all of them wild as
young hawks, except my daughter
Kitty would brighten the bravest wO-
man under the sun, were | the Car of
all the Russias, with endless mines and
serfs to offer her, instead of poor
country doctor, just able to meet his
bills. Indeed, you must not desert your
old father, | shall never be younger
or stronger again, but the boys will
soon, some of them, be able to take
care of themselves, and then, when
the real fairy prince comes, if it isn't
too late, and you a prematurely with
cred old woman, will gladly give my
blessing"
There had never occurred the slight
est variation of opinion between the
doctor and his daughter except on one
point. DR.. Gray by ties of youth, and
by long habit of mind was so loyal
subject of King George that he could
never quite decide that the royal stu
pidity and oppression should be re-
scented by rebellion, while his Rather
inc, although constantly breathing his
atmosphere of loyalty, and entirely
subject to her fathers control through
her love and duty to him, had always
strongly inclined to the new feeling of
Independence, that somehow, seemed
to eXhale from the very soil Oh which
the colonies were planted. She some
times thought as she stood looking
down the long aisles of sturdy, black
trunks In the pine woods, stretching
through interminable vistas, each one
pushing its head with such strong, ST.
lent power up into the free sunlight,
that no one could be born among them
and breathe in their pungent, sweet
OdOr, and submit to be governed in
life and property by laundering
name three thousand miles away. She
responded like her father to the inf1u-
ences of her birth, and was loyal to
them.
Katherine may have been uncOn-
sciousl y confirmed in these feelings
from the fact the one of her suitors,
who most nearly approached her ideal,
had sometimes talked to her with such
a glow of enthusiasm and, as far
as she could see, with reason and |
justice, of the native and infeasible |
rights of mankind. Still no great |
event had occurred to break into the |
harmony, and DR.. Gray rode
away on his stout bay cob, this June
morning, with no suspicion of the
shock which the day would bring him.
For some time Katherine's whole at
tentiOn was absorbed in her household
duties, especially in preparing her
younger brother and sister for school.
So it was several hours after her faith
er's departure before she became con-
sciOus that something unusual was
happening. But now she saw that the |
ordinarily quiet street was constantly
echOing the hurry of passing feet,
while murmur of excited words pene- |
trated through the closed windows.
Throwing open the front door, she
stood in the full brightness of the
spring day. Fortune, good or ill, had
ordained that it should be just at the
when John Sherman, hintlock
in hand, turned to urge a band of
young men who followed him to their
utmost haste.
But Johns eager hurry could not
blind him to the fact that there ap-